A rather surprising product demonstration, filmed at a Chinese automotive safety exhibition, went viral this week, causing widespread hilarity. The video shows an angular SUV violently ejecting its massive electric vehicle battery located under the chassis with such force that it resembles a gadget straight out of a James Bond movie. From a safety perspective, this solution seems at the very least risky.
A Safety Concept That Divides
The underlying idea would be to expel the battery if it were to catch fire. However, as many internet users were quick to point out in comments on social media, turning a huge flaming battery block into a projectile is probably not the safest solution for the immediate surroundings of the vehicle.
The very operation of such a system in an emergency situation raises questions. Faulty batteries often tend to swell, which could prevent them from being cleanly ejected through a designated hatch. Moreover, in the event of a fire, the ejection mechanism itself would likely be one of the first components to be damaged, rendering it inoperable.
It must be admitted that the spectacle is nonetheless spectacular to watch.
Vague Origins and Official Denial
The demonstration vehicle closely resembles, without being identical to, a BAIC Jishi 01. Initial articles in the specialized Chinese press reported that this battery ejection system was the result of a collaboration between the China Automobile Technology and Research Center (CATRC) and a company named Joyson Electronics. This information was quickly denied by one of the parties involved.
CATRC is a very real organization that has indeed just organized a major public event on road safety. Banners visible in the background of the video confirm the date of September 19, 2025. But the staging and the quality of the recording remain strange. China possesses advanced automotive technology, which makes the presentation of such a rudimentary concept as a battery missile all the more surprising. Similarly, the poor video quality, as if filmed with an old phone, contrasts with the usual resources.
An Enigmatic Demonstration
One might want to give the organizers the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps they were trying to illustrate the violence with which a battery could be accidentally ejected during a collision. However, the banners clearly mentioning a “battery launch technology” suggest that it would indeed be an intentional function. No fully convincing explanation has emerged so far, but one thing is certain: if you haven’t seen this video yet, it will undoubtedly surprise you, as it has for thousands of internet users.
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